Flawless Leishman fires career-best 61 on rolling terrain for 3-shot Byron Nelson lead
>> DALLAS: Australia’s Marc Leishman had two eagles in a 10-underpar 61 on Thursday to take a threeshot lead in the PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson tournament.
Leishman, who posted the best round of his PGA Tour career, opened with an eagle at the par-five fifth hole at Trinity Forest, the new course south of Dallas, Texas, hosting the tournament for the first time.
He made back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh, then birdied three in a row at the 10th, 11th and 12th before rolling in a 13-foot eagle putt at the par-five 14th.
He added one more birdie at the par-three 17th to finish one stroke shy of the tournament record.
The Australian hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation and made every putt he faced from inside 10 feet, but said he never thought about the possibility of firing a 59.
“I didn’t want to let myself get ahead of myself which was good,” said the 34-year-old, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour.
“Sixty-one— I’ll take it,” added Leishman, who has posted rounds of 62 four times in his career.
He was three strokes in front of Americans JJ Spaun and Jimmy Walker. Spaun teed off on 10 and after two birdies and a bogey in his first nine he birdied six holes coming in, including four in a row from the second through the fifth and the seventh and eighth.
Despite it’s “forest” moniker, the course on rolling terrain features neither trees nor water hazards.
Leishman, who hit every fairway in regulation, said that was the key.
“The fairways are generous, but if you are off them you are in trouble,” he said.